Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Apple pushing for 2020 production of its electric car, Bloomberg saysApple (AAPL) is pushing to begin production of its electric vehicle as soon as 2020, reports Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Bloomberg notes that the move could put Apple into direct competition with Tesla (TSLA) and General Motors (GM), both of which are targeting a 2017 release for next-generation electric vehicles. Apple may still cancel the project if it becomes unhappy with progress, the sources said, though its vehicle team is already 200-people strong. Reference Link

Apple price target raised to $145 on increasingly bullish outlook at GoldmanGoldman raised Buy rated Apple's price target to $145 from $130 based on increased confidence in platform momentum, sustained iPhone growth, and the potential for the Apple Watch. The firm believes risk/reward is more balanced following the recent 20% upside move but sees further upside given the aforementioned factors and the near-term catalysts from the April watch launch, updates on capital allocation, and a likely March quarter beat.

Apple could return $150B-$200B to shareholders, says RBC CapitalRBC Capital believes that Apple could return $150B-$200B to its shareholders over the next three years. The firm expects the company to return 100% of its annual free cash flow to shareholders. It raised its price target on the name to $140 from $130 and keeps an Outperform rating on the stock.

Apple Pay faces resistance from China, MarketWatch saysApple (AAPL) is attempting to launch Apple Pay in China, but a People's Bank of China official stated the company has not acknowledged regulators and "it's unclear whether the product meets the government’s requirements,” while talks with state-owned card payment operator UnionPay "have stalled" according to sources close to the companies, reports MarketWatch. Alibaba (BABA) currently operates the similar Alipay service and an Alibaba employee stated the two companies "have stayed in contact and are preparing for several projects," but because all payments go through UnionPay, Apple's entry into the market is ultimately controlled by the state-owned firm. The Chinese government has raised numerous concerns regarding Apple Pay, and is demanding the company open a mainland China data center to house customer information. Reference Link